


a drink and a distraction

by AccioInvisibilityCloak



Category: Chicago Med
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Rhekker Breakup, Pre-Relationship, bi disaster Connor Rhodes, set after 4x12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 02:19:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18769186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AccioInvisibilityCloak/pseuds/AccioInvisibilityCloak
Summary: Connor is trying to work through his anger and hurt about Ava and their breakup. In the doctors' locker room, he makes an unexpected connection with another highly competitive, snarky co-worker who has also just had a bad day.





	a drink and a distraction

*******

            It’s the end of his day at Med, and Connor is lurking in the corner of the deserted cafeteria. He doesn’t want to go home, to his apartment, where the pillows still smell of Ava’s hair and his whole world reeks with her betrayal.

Of course he would be naïve and distracted enough to stumble into a dysfunctional relationship with someone so messed up she could cheat on him with his own father and then lie about it. He feels like an idiot for assuming anything in his personal life could ever, for a _moment_ , go all right.

Maybe that’s the price to pay for being a good doctor, head so far up his own ass he doesn’t notice when he’s being screwed around on.

The crass, snappish thought makes him think suddenly of Dr. Lanik, and his lip curls up in a humorless smile, or a snarl, one of the two. At least that rivalry is straightforward, free of deception. Uncomplicated by lies and history. Connor thrives off that competitive energy, loath as he is to admit it.

            When he’s sure the coast is clear, and Ava’s long gone ( _and good riddance_ ), he grabs an elevator and doubles back to the ED floor. Of course, the hospital is bustling as always, but his usual staff room near the hybrid OR is silent as the grave, thank god. Connor ducks inside.  
  
He needs to think, needs to channel this enraged, heartbroken energy somewhere. Connor doesn’t do well with humiliation. Sifting through his locker doesn’t help much, and everything feels out of place. Finally, pushed too far, he slams the door home with his fist, the catharsis and pain of it pounding through the metal and into the rapidly bruising skin of his knuckles.  
  
            “Jesus, Rhodes. You look like you had as bad a day as I did. What did Mr. Star Surgeon fuck up this time?”

This in the smooth, silvery voice of Dr. James Lanik, though it’s missing some of its usual confident sneer. Connor whips around, hissing as he clutches his injured hand to his chest. James is leaning on the doorframe, watching him.  
  
“What do you want, Lanik? I’m- honestly, I’m _really_ not in the mood.”  
  
“Join the club. Did you lose a patient today too?” Lanik sounds furious, but it isn’t directed at Connor this time.  
  
“No. Fuck, what happened?” Connor asks.  
  
“Guy had an unforeseen allergy to his meds,” Lanik says. “Stupid. If that new girl just could have gotten to him in time, or if I-”  
  
“Hey, it happens,” Connor sighs, unsure how much energy he has left to give to the fight building hot beneath his skin. Just talking to Lanik makes him think of a sweaty night in the gym, pounding out his hatred of the smaller man in the form of fists on a punching bag.  
  
“Not to me,” Lanik protests proudly, and Connor snorts.  
  
“You are such a cocky little bastard, you know that? And here I am feeling sorry for you. Stupid me.”  
  
Lanik doesn’t seem to know what to say to that. The awkward silence settles like a dusting of Chicago snow on their shoulders, until Connor can’t take it anymore.  
  
“You were right, by the way,” he grunts. “About Ava and me. She cheated. With my father, no less.”  
  
He doesn’t know what made him say it. Maybe it hurts his ego less, talking about his failings with someone who already hates his guts. And at least Lanik is here, listening, which is more than he can say for some people.  
  
Lanik whistles in disbelief when Connor tells him the full story about Ava and his dad. “Pathetic, Rhodes. She played you like a fiddle. But at least you got your hybrid OR out of the deal, right?”  
  
Connor looks at him sharply. “And at least I have a life outside this hospital. I’d rather be a gullible idiot than a suck-up to Administration.”  
  
“You don’t know me, Rhodes,” Lanik says flatly. “And you don’t know my dedication to this job, this hospital. Even when I fail.”

He gets up and stalks to his own locker, stripping off his blue scrub top. Connor follows with his eyes, his breath catching in his throat. James is shorter than him, but he’s well-built, hardy and muscular, and Connor has to tear his hungry eyes away from the smaller man’s bare back, before he can dwell on just what else those scrubs leave to the imagination.

As Lanik pulls out a fresh t-shirt and sweats, Connor sees something that stops him in his tracks and fills him with the bitter joy of being _seen_ for once. James Lanik keeps an extra hospital-issue ID lanyard in his locker, and it has a small enamel pin of a rainbow flag on it.

“Wait,” Connor says, and Lanik visibly stiffens.

           “Problem, Rhodes?” he snaps, following Connor’s eyes to his Pride pin. “Be very careful what you say next, because I will haul your ass in front of a disciplinary board in a _second_ if-”

“No, it’s not like that, man, I swear. I just meant, it’s nice to know I’m not alone here, right?” Connor sinks back against the lockers behind him, anxiety and relief both buzzing through his veins. Aside from former partners, he’s never made a point to tell anyone from work before.

Lanik’s shoulders relax considerably, but his eyebrows are lost in his hairline in disbelief.

“Wow, okay then. I have to admit I wondered, but…”

 “What, a big ladies’ man like me can’t be bisexual? In 2019?” Connor says sarcastically, and that exact fear loses a bit more power in his mind.

Lanik smiles back, a bit less guarded now. “You know what I mean. I don’t exactly make a big deal of being gay, either. I just didn’t want to assume. But either way, you’re fun to tease.”

He lets that sink in. Lanik, making a point to needle Connor about his surgeries, his flouting of hospital hierarchy… and his relationship with Ava Bekker.

“Oh my god,” Connor exclaims. “That day when you told me to let you know whenever Ava decided to dump me? You were flirting with me to throw me off?”

Lanik actually blushes. “Guilty as charged. Man, you should have seen your face. I almost felt bad.”

He turns, making to finish packing his stuff.

              Connor steps over the dividing bench, leans up against Lanik’s locker until he’s inches away from that smug-ass handsome face.

 “You know, you’re an excellent doctor, Lanik,” Connor says, unable to suppress the telltale acceleration of his heart rate. “The next time I get a chance, I am definitely stealing your most complex surgery for the day. Maybe I’ll flirt my way in.”

“Good luck. You’ll need it.” Lanik’s eyes keep darting to Connor’s lips, and his smirk softens. “So, any plans tonight? Heading home to mope?”

“Actually, I think both of us could use a drink,” Connor offers, holding out a hand to shake. “And some distraction from this god-awful day. You in?”

“I’m not going to go easy on you in the ED because of this,” James says, taking his hand, the touch suddenly electric and buzzing through Connor’s whole body. “It’s not like I like you all of a sudden, you know.”

“Bring it on, short stack,” Connor says, low, daring. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Lanik leans in temptingly close, breath hot on Connor’s face, and the heady look in his eyes makes it clear exactly where tonight will end up. 

“All right, then, Rhodes. It’s a date.”

 

*******

**Author's Note:**

> These two have chemistry, ok, and I wanted there to be one piece of content here for them. Also, I have only watched seasons 3 and 4 of Med, so apologies if anything is off with Connor's character because of that. Also, I don't hate Ava, I just don't find her very compelling either. So there's that. Thanks for reading!


End file.
